Friday, February 19, 2016

You may ask, "Why enter sweepstakes by mail?" The answer will be, "For numerous reasons, but mostly because you love to play the game!" Entering sweepstakes by mail is one more way to increase your chances of winning, but it really is so much more. It's an enjoyable pastime, a fun hobby, a craft, a relaxing way to spend some free time... whatever you want it to be!

Though there sometimes are sweepstakes that only offer entry by mail, that's not the norm. Many mail-in entries are an alternative way to enter a sweeps, without having to make a purchase. This is the case in today's first two sweeps.

Often you can send for game pieces by mail, for things like instant win games - that you might otherwise only get by purchasing a sponsor's product, for this same reason.

Sometimes this form of entry just offers an alternative, to give all a fair chance (such as those who wouldn't normally be online). These are just a few reasons. The list might be endless!

For today's sweeps:

You can go out to eat at Cracker Barrel, then use the information from your receipt to take their survey and be entered in their survey sweeps. Or, you can mail in your information as per the rules, and be entered without having to buy the meal or take the survey.

You can take the designated cruise with Holland America Line to enter the next sweeps. Or, you can mail in a post card, per the specs in the rules. For these types of entries, I usually buy standard pre-stamped post cards at the post office, to have handy at home whenever I need one. I'll certainly send a post card out, for my chance at that hunk of real gold!

For today's final sweeps, you can text the key word MANGIA to short code 60856 to enter. This will also subscribe you to text alerts from Bertolli. What? Wait! No need to pay for those texts, if your cell provider charges you for them, just mail your entry in, instead!

One entry per person/telephone number, regardless of method of entry. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 or older. Ends March 22, 2016.

I'll have to look through my stash of articles, and see what I can find on mail-in sweeps. I know I had a number of articles on this, however, I'm afraid that at least some of them were lost to storm damage ruining some of my electronics. I'll post what I can find at a later date!

Thursday, February 18, 2016

In recent weeks, since settling into the new house a bit, I have had a yearning to get back to sending out more mail-in sweepstakes. As some of you will know, this can involve a lot of writing. A good pen is key to this, to avoid fatigue, cramps, and messy ink smears. I've also been working out setting up the home office in a more efficient way. Good pens are always a necessity for this area, too. Of course, around the house in general, it seems that a good pen is handy anywhere.

So, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review these Pilot pens from Shoplet! When they arrived, the package contained the following pens:

Acroball Pure White, pack of three
Acroball Colors, pack of three
Acroball Pro, pack of three
Dr. Grip Frosted, one

Each of these pens uses a hybrid ink that Pilot also refers to as "Advanced Ink." This is a blend of gel ink and ball point ink. The end result is smooth writing, with no globs left on the page, and no smearing. It dries quickly. Really, surprisingly quick.

Along with this, all of these pens are also refillable! I really like that.

Outside of the benefits that all of these pens offer, each pen still has its own unique attributes.

Acroball Pure White

This is a fine point pen that writes in black ink. I received these with accents in teal, lime green, and sky blue. I love the colors. With white as the primary color, the look is sleek and refined. The attention to detail in the design makes these pens really pretty, too.

The grip holds securely in place. No slipping up or down, nor twisting around. It has tiny little ridges that offer support, yet are barely there and don't get in the way. These also help to prevent it from slipping from your hold. This grip makes the pen feel really comfortable in the hand, and makes it easy to write with.

I especially like the fine point on this pen for filling out forms. Sometimes you have to write so small to fit in the spaces! I will carry one of these with me, for filling out things like in-store sweepstakes entries, rebates, change of address forms, and so much more. I will also keep one on the desk, for whatever forms may come up there... and to look at...

Acroball Colors

These pens are medium point, and come, one each, with blue, black, and red ink. There is very little weight to these pens, yet they are solid and well-made. The retractable action is sound, and the pocket clip is sturdy. These are pens that I will keep handy for around the house.

At first glance, you might not see the grip on these pens. It looks like it is just a part of the barrel. Yet, it is there, and it feels good when you grip it.This is especially nice when you need accuracy, as it makes the pen easy to control.

I like that this pen comes with different colored inks. I am a list maker, and a note taker. I use them all the time. Using the different colors can help me to prioritize at a glance, without having to go through the whole list every time. This is also a good way to convey these priorities to my sons, when I have lists of chores that they need to do.

Acroball Pro

As its name implies, this pen has a nicely professional look to it. The slate gray color of the barrel is tasteful, and looks nice with the silver pocket clip. The feel has a nice balance to it. There seems to be just a slight bit of weightiness to it, but barely there. It really is nice to write with. I love the flow and the feel.

This pack of pens came with the three different colors of ink, in the red, blue, and black. The grips on each pen match its ink color, so there is no guesswork involved in picking the right one. As with other Pilot pens, these are sound and solid, right down to the cone. There is no slippage in any of its parts.

These I will keep in my home office, where a good pen is always a necessity. It will be a pleasure to use these for thoughts and ideas, thank you notes, orders, reminders, and so much more.

Dr. Grip Frosted

This pen has its own style. I received it in the lavender. Th color is very pretty, and the frosted effect gives it a unique look that I really like. The pen itself is a bit thicker than the usual pen. but is still nice and light, and easy to hold. It almost has an airy feel to it.

The grip on this one covers nearly the lower half of the pen. There is no texture to it, but it is so nice and soft to the touch! Not cushy, not squishy, not pillowy, just... soft. It's very pleasant to the touch. Still, it does its job.

This one will be my "Me" pen. I will keep it on my nightstand with my notepad, for those middle of the night bursts of inspiration. I will use it to write Haiku and limericks, and all of those things that call for that special touch. This pen is so easy to write with. I think it's perfect for things like journaling, too. For anything you need to think and write, and to bring out those creative juices, this pen is conducive to letting it flow!

You can find all of these pens on the Shoplet Website. For some fun tips, fashion sense, giveaways, and so much more, follow them on social media through the following links:

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Today brings a nice variety of sweepstakes, with something for everyone! No need to pick or choose, though, you're free to enter them all!

Do you love to get creative with food preservation and preparation? Then I'd bet you'd love to win the food dehydrator in today's first sweeps!

Are you a traveler at heart? A lover of music and the arts? Then a trip to the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival offered in today's second sweeps, might be the win of your dreams!

Do you prefer to entertain in your backyard at home? Or, perhaps, to spend time making it a lovely space to spend the time? Then the backyard makeover in today's third sweeps would certainly be right up your alley!

Don't you just love to enter sweepstakes? The possibilities are endless!

* Grand prize is a 5-day/4-night trip for two to Palm Springs, CA to attend one weekend of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Includes air fare, accommodations, Festival tickets, and more. Total ARV $5,750.

* Grand prize is a backyard makeover. Makeover may vary, according to the yard. If winner doesn't have a suitable back yard, winner will receive an alternative prize of a home makeover (i.e., living room makeover) ARV $33,301.95.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Today brings the chance to win a slew of good prizes! First, there's a new 50 inch Roku smart TV. This is the perfect size for the living room, and would be such a nice thing to win. You'd be beaming while you're streaming, for sure!

Then, 12 lucky winners will walk away with $5,000! Woot! What a celebration that would be! Plus, there are oodles of instant win prizes, to go towards what you might need for your vehicle. With this, I might finally get around to getting those new windshield wipers for my truck!

Finally, there is the chance to win an awesome custom truck from Old Milwaukee! Hhmmm, maybe I won't need those windshield wipers, and could get some good safety glasses...

This sweeps has two entry periods, each for six grand prizes, 1,500 instant win prizes, and 200 "Fast 100" prizes. The first ends on February 29, and the second ends on the sweeps end date. Enter for the "Fast 100" prizes on their Facebook page, by being one of the first 100 to respond to the designated post.

Monday, February 15, 2016

This week I had the opportunity to review the Culinary Corner Collapsible Funnel. What a handy little unit! For you, thanks to our friends at Culinary Corner, this means you now have the chance to win one!

I like this funnel for numerous reasons. First of all, because it collapses, it is so easy to store. I have a larger, non-collapsible funnel, that I've always struggled to find a suitable place for. This one fits easily in any compartment, in any of my drawers. Made of silicone, it's also flexible, so won't get hung up and cause a drawer jam, as so many other items will. If you prefer to hang it from a hook, that is an option, too.

The flexible/collapsible combination, also makes it great for travel. Two of my sons like to go survival camping, so, for them, this would take virtually no room in a backpack. It could then be easily used for filtering water into a bottle with one of their water sanitizing tools.

As for around the house, I see multiple uses for this, too. It's smaller size allows it to tackle any number of jobs that my large funnel cannot. The ridges on its sides allow it to fit securely on containers with openings of various sizes.

I can use it with my small thermos, to add sugar to coffee when the kids use it, or to add honey to tea. No more mess to clean up from something that should be so simple. Now it is.

In our family, we also enjoy freshly squeezed lemon in water. This funnel sits nicely on a reusable water bottle, so I can squeeze the lemon right into it. No muss, no fuss.

I am also thinking of this coming garden season. I had a deck garden before the move, so am looking forward to having a new garden here. I love to grow and dry my own herbs, and am looking to expand with more varieties. This funnel will work nicely to fill the smaller, spice-sized jars with these.

On a final note, at the end of the day, I found this funnel to be easy to clean, with no special care required. That is always a plus!

Now, on to the giveaway! Can't wait to get yours? Visit Culinary Corner on Amazon and get 10 percent off using code JennyT10 at checkout!

Be sure to enter for the Non-stick Silicone Baking Mat from Culinary Corner, HERE, through February 21! Look for another giveaway, next week!

A big thank you to our friends at Culinary Corner! Check back in with them regularly, for still more quality products at affordable prices, coming soon!